In a ground-breaking move for the company, Underground Services Australia will be installing the high pressure gas pipeline which will ultimately connect the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline with the Rockingham and Mandurah areas in Western Australia. With a rapidly expanding population in the City of Mandurah (about 65 kilometres south of Perth), which in 2006 was 64,276 and is expected to increase to 117,746 by 2021, increased demand has been put on an ever-dwindling gas supply. The Shire of Murray will also benefit from the new pipeline and with its population expected to triple by 2021, the Mandurah Gas Lateral will provide security of supply to these fast booming areas.
Underground Services Australia is excited to be involved in its first major gas pipeline project which will involve approximately 20 kilometres in total, passing through the Serpentine River, some smaller creeks and a number of environmentally sensitive areas. Minimising the impact on the environment was vitally important and the necessary planning ensured this outcome would be achieved. In addition to obtaining a licence to construct, an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) was carried out and approved prior to commencement of the work. The EMP highlights all the necessary environmental issues and how to deal with them in the interest of minimising the disruption to the environment. There were a number of environmentally sensitive areas identified which contain protected flora and fauna, including 200 species of native plants in the area, 20 species of native animals, of which 3 are classified as threatened species. A Land Liaison Officer on site was also contracted, as the pipeline travels through a number of farm properties and new residential suburbs.
With a considerable number of environmental and social issues to work around, the team at Underground Services Australia has done exceptionally well to ensure all the appropriate actions are taken.
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